Biding His Time
by hypnoticeyes
Summary: Set during 1st season. Auggie was just waiting for the right time.


"So, Anderson, what do you think?" Jai asked.

Auggie's jaw was set so tight, he was sure if he kept it up, he'd lose a filling, so he forced himself to smile. "Not sure what you're talking about, Wilcox. Are you asking my permission?"

"Permission? You think I need permission to ask Annie out?" Jai laughed, nearly upsetting his beer bottle. "No, if you were listening to all, I was asking what you thought about how I'd do it."

Yeah, I heard, Auggie thought, and no, you don't have my permission. Auggie knew his thoughts sounded possessive, but hell, that's just how he felt when it came to Annie Walker. He met her first. Male protocol would dictate that he'd have first dibs. He laughed at where his mind was going with this. What's next, thumping his chest and howling at the moon?

"You know what I think you should do, Jai?" Auggie said, turning towards the slightly inebriated man to his left. "Just go up to her, tell her your intentions, flash that megawatt smile of yours, and I tell you, she'll swoon."

"Already tried that. She's not impressed by the smile that much," Jai said.

"All you've done is compliment her and kiss her ass. Have you ever told her exactly what you want?" Auggie asked, keeping his face as straight as he possibly could.

"Well, no, I was waiting for her to make the first move."

"And has she?" Auggie asked.

"You're right," Jai said, and picking up his bottle of beer, downed the rest of the liquid encouragement. "It's time to make a move."

"Good luck," Auggie said, raising his beer to the man as he left the table. He waited until Jai was enough steps away to chuckle to himself. Yeah, it wasn't the nicest thing he'd done, but Jai's constant jibes had wore on him, and since he didn't even see Auggie as a competitor for Annie's affections, he deserved to be taken down a notch.

So now he sat back in his chair, arms crossed on his chest, beer bottle in his hands, and waited. He knew Annie had entered the bar about a half hour ago. He'd heard her step, her laughter, and he knew she was still too far away, talking to a friend of hers in the corner, for him to smell her intoxicating citrusy perfume, but he swore he could smell it, all the same.

It'd been that way for a while now, and at first he thought he needed to see a doctor regarding phantom smells. Then he realized that just the thought of Annie made him think of grapefruits, which was odd and more than a little ridiculous.

It didn't take long for him to hear what he was waiting for. Though he couldn't make out the words, he heard the low, obviously seductive tone of Jai's voice, followed by what sounded to Auggie like a startled gasp, and though he yearned to hear the sound of a slap or perhaps a grunt as Annie's knee met Jai's family jewels, he only heard Annie's sweet voice.

Jai's came again, and then Annie's. What? Was she actually considering his ridiculous proposition? Auggie's eyes narrowed, and he angled his head, straining to catch at least one word.

A few seconds later, heavy footfalls headed his way, and he realized Jai was returning to their table.

"Thanks for nothing, Anderson," Jai spat out, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair.

"What? What'd I do?"

"'Go up to her, tell her what you want,' you said. Huh, should have known better than to listen to you," Jai said before stalking away.

Auggie smiled wide, raising his bottle to himself in a mock salute before lifting it to his lips. Before he could take a drink, though, it was pulled from his hand and set back on the table.

"Hey!"

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Annie said, sitting down in the chair Jai had been sitting in.

"Enough to drink? That's only my second," Auggie said, cocking his head toward hers. "Don't have to drive, don't have to worry about getting too drunk."

"I saw what you did," Annie said, keeping her eyes on him.

Auggie tried to feign innocence, but Annie knew him too well. "Don't know what you mean, Annie."

"You were sitting there, talking with Jai, who was downing his beer like he was dying of thirst. Jai wouldn't take his eyes off of me, and then after a minute or two, he walks over to me and says - well, I'm sure you know what he said."

"Didn't hear a thing," Auggie said, honestly.

"You may not have heard the words, but I knew you were trying your darnedest to hear," Annie said. "If you had leaned any further, you would've fallen out of your seat."

Auggie colored, realizing he'd gotten caught. "Guess you turned him down, huh?"

"I'm not with him now, am I?" Annie asked.

"Nope."

"So why'd you set him up like that?"

"It was his idea. I just told him to go ahead and do it," Auggie said with a laugh.

"Knowing full well I'd say no."

"Well -"

"Why?"

"Huh?" Auggie asked.

"Why did you tell him to do that, when you know I hate men who come on too strong?" Annie asked. She full well knew the answer and was more than a little startled when she'd realized it a few minutes ago, but desperately needed to hear the words from his own lips.

"Because I knew you'd say no," Auggie said simply.

"And why would you want me to say no to Jai?"

"Annie."

"Come on, Anderson. Never knew you to be afraid before," Annie said, laying her hand on his arm.

Auggie's eyebrows shot up at her words. Seriously, she was calling him out? Surely, she knew the reason why he'd wanted Jai as far away from her and him. Maybe she just wanted to hear you say it, he thought. Though Annie was beautiful and had more than her share of men falling at her feet, he knew she did prefer to be courted, sweet and slow. He'd seen more than a few men learn that the hard way. And unfortunately, once they'd had that lesson, there was no turning back.

And now it was his turn. She'd called his bluff, and hell, she was here, wasn't she? Her eyes and hand were on him - not Jai, not anyone else.

"I am afraid, if you want the truth," he said finally. "Afraid that if I do what I want, what I've wanted for a while now, you'll say no, push me away, and I'll lose one of the best friends I've ever had."

Her breath had stopped, he could swear it. And the hand that she'd placed on his contracted. Had he pushed too fast, too soon? Geez, what the hell did she want from him? She came to him, pleaded with him to tell her what he wanted, didn't she?

"Annie, you don't have to say anything, you know," he said, trying to dam up the flood he'd created. "I'm sure you already knew all that already, and -"

His words were cut off as her hand left his arm and clapped on the back of his neck, and her mouth crashed into his. Half a second was all it took for him to process what was happening, and even then, he'd wanted that half a second back as his own hands found her face and reciprocated.

God, she tasted sweeter than anything he'd ever experienced. Had he known that, he'd have made his move long ago. Now was not the time for regrets, though, as he took full advantage of having Annie in his arms, in his embrace, finally.

He kissed her and tasted her sweetness with his lips and tongue, groaning with satisfaction as she did the same. Had they been somewhere other than a crowded bar, surrounded by people they worked with, he'd have his hands somewhere else, but he kept them on her face, relishing the soft skin, knowing more awaited.

"Geez, get a room, why don't you?"

Annie pulled away from him so suddenly at the admonishment that Auggie fell forward a few inches, grateful they were still holding onto each other, as he didn't relish falling on the floor face-first.

Reluctantly, he released her, slowly, and grinned as her grip on his arm and neck stayed. "Annie?" he asked.

"Yeah, Auggie?" she whispered, her breath washing his face. She rested her forehead on his, and he groaned at the slight contact.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" he asked, fighting the urge to push further. Even though his body was itching to take the faceless person's advice and take her home, his heart and mind wanted more. Wanted her for more than a night, more than a tumble in the sheets.

"If it means you're asking me to be your girlfriend, it took you long enough," Annie said with a small laugh.

Auggie laughed, "You know, you could have said something earlier."

"And miss watching you hem and haw and be all cute, being my friend, holding my hand? I was just biding my time," Annie said, running her finger down his jaw.

Auggie's jaw dropped open at the admission. "Wow."

"Yeah, maybe I should have said something earlier, but -"

"No," Auggie interrupted. "You really think I'm cute?"

Annie clenched her fingers in the hair at the back of his neck, pulling playfully. "Come on, I think this conversation needs to be somewhere quieter."

Auggie nodded and stood, holding his hand out to her. She placed hers in his, tightly, and together, they walked out into the night.


End file.
